Hoang Duc plays striker, is the Vietnamese team wasting talent?

Coach Philippe Troussier pushed Hoang Duc to play as a striker in all 3 matches during the recent FIFA Days. The player from Hai Duong still left certain marks, but to say that he completed the task is very difficult.

In the 0-2 loss on China's field, Hoang Duc was almost lost in the opponent's defense. He was completely separated from the players behind him.

It must also be said that despite having superior ball control, the midfielders of the Vietnamese team lacked creativity.

There were times when Hoang Duc had to retreat to find the ball, but nothing worked. He was even the cause of the home team's second goal after a bad pass.

In the second match against Uzbekistan (also lost 0-2), Hoang Duc was almost isolated. He did not have much of the ball and did not have any notable shots towards the Central Asian team's goal.

However, in the match against Korea (0-6), Hoang Duc was one of the rare Vietnamese players who left an impression on the field.

Coach Troussier must have considered carefully when using Hoang Duc as a striker. The reason may be that the strikers of the Vietnamese team are not in good form.

It is also possible that the French coach wants to find new elements for the team. Hoang Duc not only has an ideal physique but is also the type of player who can create or make his own living…

As mentioned above, Coach Troussier has not been successful in using Hoang Duc as a striker. Partly, the opponents are too strong, partly Hoang Duc needs more time to adapt to a position that is not his forte. The question is, when entering the match with the Philippines in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup, will Hoang Duc continue to play as the highest striker?

To prepare for the journey of conquest, Coach Troussier called up 7 true strikers, including Nguyen Van Quyet, Pham Tuan Hai, Nguyen Van Tung (Hanoi FC), Nguyen Tien Linh (Becamex Binh Duong), Nguyen Van Toan (Nam Dinh), Nguyen Dinh Bac (Quang Nam), Nguyen Thanh Nhan (PVF CAND).

Despite having many strikers at his disposal, Coach Troussier is not yet assured as his players have not shown any resilience before. However, Tuan Hai's excellent performance in helping Hanoi FC come from behind to beat Wuhan Three Towns 2-1 at My Dinh Stadium in the 2023/24 AFC Champions League could provide a solution for the striker position in the Vietnam National Team.

It must be remembered that the level of the Philippine team is very different from that of China, Uzbekistan or South Korea. Coach Troussier has the right to think of a scenario where the Vietnamese team gains control of the ball even though they have to play on the opponent's field.

Bringing Hoang Duc back to the midfield will help diversify the Vietnamese team's playing style because this player's coordination and creation ability has been assessed.

Certainly, the French coach will have to consider Tuan Hai, because at this time, there is no player more suitable than the Hanoi FC striker in the striker position. If this becomes true, Hoang Duc can become a "reserve" when the Vietnamese team faces big opponents like Iraq.